EXPLOSIONS and gunfire rocked a luxury hotel and office complex in the Kenyan capital Nairobi with witnesses claiming the building was “under attack” and police and anti-terrorist forces are fighting to regain control of the area.

At least one person was killed and eight injured, hospital officials said, but local media is reporting at least three people have been killed in the raid. Some survivors hid as gunmen launched their assault. Reports from the scene said a suicide bomber led the attack and up to six gunmen were seen entering the complex in an upmarket area of the sprawling city. Police commander Philip Ndolo said armed units had cordoned off the area surrounding the DusitD2 hotel on Riverside Drive in the city as the sound of automatic gunfire rang out.

Witnesses reported seeing six attackers, but their whereabouts was not yet known.

A National Police Service Kenya spokesman tweeted: “The National Police specialised units are on site at 14 Riverside Drive to engage the attackers”.

Simon Crump, who works at one of the offices, said staff had barricaded themselves inside after several explosions.

He told AFP news agency: “We have no idea what is happening. Gunshots are coming from multiple directions.”

Armed police surround a Nairobi hotel (Image: REUTERS)

A woman with serious leg injuries was carried out and three men emerged covered in blood.

Some office workers climbed out of windows and ran for their lives.

Many people said they had to leave colleagues behind, still huddled under their desks.

Geoffrey Otieno, who works at a beauty salon in the complex, said "We heard a loud bang from something that was thrown inside. Then I saw shattered glass. We hid until we were rescued."

Nairobi hotel attack (Image: REUTERS)

A woman working in a bank near the hotel said: "I just started hearing gunshots, and then started seeing people running away raising their hands up and some were entering the bank to hide for their lives.”

Witnesses said their had been at least one fatality and several casualties.

Images from the scene showed injured people running from the buildings.

Several cars have been seen on fire and people are being carried away from the scene.

The attack comes on the third anniversary of the El Adde attack, which claimed the lives of several Kenyan soldiers in Somalia.

Kenya has often been targeted by al Shabaab, who killed dozens of people in a shopping centre in 2013 and nearly 150 students at a university in 2015.

The five-star DusitD2 hotel has 101 rooms. Located in the Westlands suburb, minutes from the capital's business district, it has its own spa and several restaurants.